Meet The Founder | Keela Dallas (Vela)
Kia ora, I'm Keela — the founder of Ahi & Wai.
Ahi & Wai was born from a love of art, culture, home and the natural world. I've always been inspired by the strength, femininity, and allure of indigenous, polynesian and mediterranean/dalmation women and the stories carried through our cultures. As I've continued learning about and reconnecting with my own heritage, I've felt a strong desire to celebrate and share those influences through creative expression.
Drawing inspiration from the ocean, native landscapes, goddess energy, and my own cultural roots, every piece is thoughtfully curated, designed, or handcrafted to embody an ethereal, oceanic kind of beauty.
Ahi & Wai isn't about following trends—it's about celebrating the magic that already exists within you. My hope is that when you wear our pieces, you feel a little more radiant, a little more powerful, and completely yourself.
Welcome to Ahi & Wai.
Māori/Croation Roots ( Tararā )
Ahi & Wai is inspired by many parts of my whakapapa and upbringing, my Tararā heritage has been a special influence on the way I create and the stories behind the brand.
The word 'Tararā' comes from the blending of Māori and Croatian cultures, a connection I carry through my great-grandparents, Kostantin Vela and Mary Henare. Kostantin left the seaside village of Podgora, Croatia, for Aotearoa in 1924, where he later met Mary of Whangape while working the gumfields of Te Tai Tokerau . Together they built a life in the Far North (Ahipara), gumdigging and making homestyle croatian wine surrounded by the moana, whenua, and whānau including my papa Ivan Vela (later with my Nana Rebecca/Pet Vela nee Taingahue ) and his siblings.
Alongside my wider whakapapa from the Hokianga and Tauranga Moana,and my tāne being Samoan this connection to the ocean, nature, and native beauty continues to guide my creative process. Pāua shells,Mermaid Jewels, bold and coastal tones, native influences, and goddess energy woven through Ahi & Wai are all reflections of the cultures, landscapes, and people who have shaped who I am.
Click below to read more about our Vela family story.
Native Allure
The natural allure of women across Indigenous, Polynesian, Mediterranean, and ocean-connected cultures deserves to be celebrated and infused throughout our pieces - we call it 'native allure'. Inspired by beauty, strength, and femininity, Ahi & Wai creates pieces designed to make every wāhine feel radiant, confident, like the sunkissed goddess she is.